Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction covered by the Georgia Hurricane Response Hub was the state of Georgia. Georgia is the 8th most populous state and the largest state east of the Mississippi River. Georgia is bordered by Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, four of which have their own coastal areas and have been previously impacted by hurricanes.

Headquarters

The Georgia Hurricane Response Hub was headquartered at the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) at Emory University. As headquarters to several training centers, RSPH has a long history of providing training focused on both core public health skills and emergency preparedness and response. Additionally, RSPH has a rich record of successfully convening partners and coordinating efforts to improve public health systems, policies and programs in Georgia and regionally.

Partners

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH): The state’s lead agency in preventing disease, injury, and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing for and responding to disasters from a health perspective.

Georgia Hospital Association (GHA): A nonprofit trade association made up of member health systems, hospitals, and individuals in administrative and decision-making positions within those institutions. GHA assists the state in administering the Healthcare Preparedness Program (HPP) grant, which funds healthcare coalitions to prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies. 

Strategic Planning Work Groups

Over 50 staff from Georgia DPH, GHA, and regional health care coalitions were active members of the Georgia Hurricane Response Hub work groups. Each group was charged with developing strategic work plans in one of the following areas: disaster epidemiology, incident management, resilience, strategic communications, and surge management.

Coordinating Body

The National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training (NCCPHT) at NNPHI coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local public health organizations to facilitate training, technical assistance, and information sharing to enhance ongoing environmental and occupational health recovery in jurisdictions affected by the 2017 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. NCCPHT coordinated the work of the Georgia Hurricane Response Hub and four additional centers in Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and Texas, which have since ceased operations.